Reply #16: lazarus [View All]

[jukes]

you're right about the cowardice of these people.


sorry to say, you're wrong about the prints. 1 of my dubious cred's is as a f'print tech.

prints are hard to lift @ a crime scene; hands tend to slip, smearing prints & obscuring the characteristix. metal is a difficult surface to lift from. f'prints are comprised of body moisture, fats & minerals. the best prints come from an absorbent surface; the water is absorbed leaving the fats & minerals behind. a "wet" print draws the water into the dusting medium, making it clump.

most cops aren't evtechs, & the special units won't come out for a vandalism call of little monetary value. small departments or beleaguered road cops may pretend to dust, but will often leave a HUGE mess behind as payback.

add to this: you generally need a perp in custody to compare w/. true, data base is more accessible than it was in my day, but if they've never been popt on a felony (military, etc database is seldom cross checked except in high profile, dangerous crimes) then their prints won't be in the d'base.

don't want to act like a know-it-all, but yours is a common misperception.